The Lawyer’s Lie Chapter 17

The Lawyer’s Lie Chapter 17

Julian’s appearance plunged the ballroom into instant silence. Then whispers began to rise.

“Isn’t that Julian Grant? What is he doing here?”

“I heard his ex-wife is Clara Bennett, the woman getting engaged tonight.”

“Right, right. I remember now. She’s the ex-wife of the great Mr. Grant.”

“Well, look at her. Barely divorced, and she’s already latched onto the Blackwood fortune.”

“Asher may have been an illegitimate son who clawed his way to the top, but he runs all of Blackwood Group now. Why would he want damaged goods?”

“She knows how to work people. She can’t act anymore, so of course she’s trying to marry rich.”

Their voices were not loud, but every word was clear.

Clara stood where she was, and the smile on her face faded for a moment.

Asher’s gaze darkened. The instant he lifted his hand, several security guards in black suits moved silently

toward the guests who had been talking too much.

Before long, those people had been escorted to the edge of the ballroom.

After tonight, they would probably never be welcome at any Blackwood event again.

But Julian noticed none of it.

He only stared fixedly at Clara and walked toward her step by step.

Clara looked at that approaching figure, yet her heart was unexpectedly calm.

Perhaps it was because the whole truth had already come to light. Perhaps it was because she had

processed that pain little by little. Or perhaps it was something else.

She glanced at the man standing in front of her.

Asher had already stepped forward without a word, shielding her behind him.

A smile tugged at his mouth, half roguish and half reckless.

The tailored charcoal suit made him look even more striking. The corners of his eyes tilted slightly upward,

giving him a naturally careless, untamed air, but those eyes were as sharp as blades.

“A guest is still a guest,” he said lazily. “Welcome to my engagement party with Clara.”

Julian looked at him, his jaw clenched. “She won’t marry you. Don’t even think about forcing her.”

Asher gave a soft scoff and tilted his head. “Mr. Grant, that’s quite an accusation.”

He turned slightly to look at Clara, his eyes carrying a hint of wounded innocence. “Clara, did I force you?”

Clara let out a soft laugh and shook her head.

Asher spread his hands, his smile turning even more unrestrained.

“If you’re here to offer your blessing, I’ll drink a toast with you. If you’re here to cause trouble, the door is right

over there. See yourself out.”

The smile vanished from his face, and his eyes went suddenly cold.

Julian clenched his fists.

Just then, a middle-aged man pushed through the crowd. He was an old acquaintance of Julian’s from legal

circles.

He leaned close to Julian and lowered his voice.

“Julian, Asher may not have come from a respectable branch of the family, but he controls the Blackwood

family now. Don’t go against him. It won’t do you any good.”

Julian ignored him and only looked at Clara.

He saw the calm expression on her face, as if nothing had happened at all.

Something inside him began to crack, piece by piece.

It was too fast. They had only just finalized their divorce, and now she was engaged.

He did not believe it.

She had to have been forced into this. That Blackwood man must have used some kind of leverage.

He thought of the Blackwood legal team’s lawyer in court.

Julian took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound calm.

“Clara, everything before was my fault. I was blind. I was ignorant. I made so many mistakes. But can you

please stop punishing me like this?”

Clara looked at him without speaking.

She saw the restraint in his eyes, and she saw the emotions surging beneath that restraint.

But none of it had anything to do with her anymore.

She turned to Asher and said softly, “I’ll talk to him for a few minutes.”

Asher frowned, his tone carrying a hint of sulky protest. “Absolutely not. I don’t trust him alone with you.”

His tone made the corners of Clara’s mouth lift.

She rose on tiptoe and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

“I’ll be right back.”

Asher froze for a second, and the tips of his ears turned red.